Cover for receptacles



TL H. HART.

COVER FOR REGEPTACLES.

APPLICATION FILED AMA-1919.

1,419,850, Patented June 13,1922.

Thomas H. HurT mvrrno stares,

THOMAS H. .I-IART, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

COVER FOR RECEPTAGLES.

naiasso.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J nine 13, 1922.

Application filed Auguste, 1919. Serial No. 315,040.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs H. HART, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, haveinvented an Improvement in Covers for Receptacles, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is aspecification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to improvements in receptacles or moreparticularly in receptacle covers and the principal object thereof is toprovide means for. collecting the liquid. which is condensed upon theunder surface of the cover of a receptacle from vapor issuing from thecontents of the receptacle to which the cover is applied, and fordelivering the li uid thus collected.

llore specifically my invention contem plates the provision of areceptacle cover which preferablyis of a size to fit a standard pot,kettle or other receptacle, said cover being provided with a gutteradapted to collect and deliver the liquid which is condensed upon theunder surface of said cover from vapor issuing from the contents of thereceptacle.

1 A further object of the invention is to provide a receptacle cover ofthe type described with means for applying a cooling agent to theportion of the cover which causes said condensation whereby the rapidityof condensation will be increased.

A further object of the invention is to provide a convenient andinexpensive device for distilling purposes.

In many instances it is desirable to have means for distilling water inorder to purify it of undesirable material held in solution bacteria orother impurities. F or example it is often difficult to carry anadequate water supply in small ocean oing boats and exhaustion of thefresh water supply results in suffering and sometimes death of theoccupants of the boat. Like conditions also obtain if the freshwatersupply becomes lost or salted bysalt water in a storm.

Again where troops ,or other camping parties are forced to obtain theirwater supply from stagnant pools or contaminated streams it isnecessary, at least, to boil the water used for drinking purposes toprevent disease from bacteria. Similarly in households it is oftennecessary to purify the water from the pumps or faucets before it is fitto drink. In many such instances the water is insufiiciently heatedbecause of the haste of the user and the heating ineffective.

The present invention is intended to overcome such conditions and toproduce unfailingly a pure water by providing a distilling device.whichcan readily be transported and applied to standard receptacles aswell as to special receptacles adapted to be heated by portable heatersor otherwise.

Other objects and features of the invention will more fully appearfrom'the following description and the accompanying draw ing and willbe'particularly pointed out in the annexed claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical central sectional view of a receptacle having acover embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is an underside plan view of the cover showing'a in'eferred formof gutter and delivery spout.

The receptacle 1 may be a pot, pan, kettle or other reservoir adaptedtobe heated, desirably of cylindrical form and of a stand ard diameter,such as a usual domestic cook; ing vessel. I

The cover, which preferably is detachable comprises a central portion 2which is inclined from its periphery toward itscenter, or crowned asshown preferably of spherical form presenting a maximum surface, and isprovided with a gutter 3 of greater length than the radius of saidinclined portion, so. positioned as to collect liquid which is condensedupon the under surface of the cover from vapor issuing from the contentsof the receptacle. I

The gutter 3 desirably is of spiral form extending from a point near thehighest portions of the under surface of the cover and terminatingpreferably in a spout l pro jecting outside of the periphery of thecover so that the liquid collected in said gutter may be delivered to asuitable container.

The gutter may be of any suitable form and may be constructed in anydesirable manner within the spirit and scope of my I invention. Asillustrated herein the gutter is in the form of a trough of curved crosssection. The edge 5 ofthe trough which is nearest to or substantiallyparallel with the periphery of the cover is fixedly secured to or formedintegral with the cover while the opposite edge 6 of the trough orgutter is spaced apart a short distance from the under surface 7 of thecover, thus enabling. the vapor issuing from the contents of thereceptacle to contact with the under surface of the cover above thegutter as well as in the intervals between the vconvolutions of thespiralsof the gutter.

The cover desirably is provided with. a downwardly extending flange 8 ator near its periphery which will fit preferably within the mouth of astandard kettle.

In operation, the liquid or other material to be distilled is placed inthe receptacle and heated in any desirable manner. The vapor issuingfrom the contents, when a sufiicient degree of heat is attained, risesand comes in contact with the under surface of the cover. Upon strikingthis relatively cool surface the vapor is condensed and upon runningdown the inclined surface is collected in the gutterfrom which it isdelivered through the spout 4: or such other discharge outlet as may beprovided.

In order to increase the rate of condensation means preferably areprovided for applying a cooling medium to the inclined portion, atleast, of the cover.

This may be accomplished, as illustrated herein by providing the coverwith an upwardly extending wall 9 producing a reservoir 10 adapted toreceive cold water, ice, salted ice, or any other cooling agent. Afaucet or spigot 11 desirably is provided at or near the bottom of thereservoir 10 to enable its contents to be drawn off when replenishmentis desirable and when the cover is to be removed.

If desired suitable means may be provided for maintaining a constantcirculation of the cooling agent through the reservoir 10 as by .aninlet hose or pipe 12 shown in dotted lines'Fig. 1 and a suitable wastepipe (not shown) to receive the fluid discharged from the faucet.

It is obvious from the above disclosure that the receptacle cover may bemade of a convenient size to form part of a camping outfit or a boatsupply or for domestic use, also that the principle of the invention maybe embodied in large types of apparatus in which the cover may in factbe the dome of a chamber.

It is therefore to be understood that theembodiment of the inventiondisclosed here- 1n is merely illustrative and not descriptive and thatvarious modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of thefollowing claims. 7

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A receptacle cover having a crowned central portion extendingupwardly from its periphery, an outwardly extending gutter secured tothe under side of said crowned central portion, inclined toward theperiphery thereof and having a discharge outlet projecting beyond theperiphery of said cover;

2. A receptacle cover having a crowned central portion, a gutter havingone edge engaging the under surface of said crowned central portion andits .otheredgenarrowly spaced therefrom, adapted to collect liquid.condensed from vapor issuing from the contents of the receptacle saidgutter being of greater length than the radius of said crowned portionand means for applyin-ga cooling medium to the upper surface of saidcover. 1

8. A receptacle cover having a crowned central portion, and a gutter onits under surface extending spirally from substan} tially the highestportion of the under surface ofsaid crowned portion to its periphcry,adapted to collect liquidcondensed from vapor issuing from the contentsof thereceptacle, and means to dischargethe fluid thus collected. r

4.111 combination, a receptacle having a cover provided with a crownedunder surface, an outwardly expanding spiral gutter extending along andsupported, by said under surface adapted to collect liquid .condensed onsaid under surface from vapor issuingfrom the contents of thereceptacle, means for delivering the liquid thus col lected, and meansfor applying a cooling agent to the upper side .of said cover.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.THOMAS H. HART.

